Despite the fact that Norway is no longer the “big” thing in metal does not mean that the nation is lacking in a new generation of black metal bands. With a five year hiatus between their debut release, Sorrow Infinite and Darkness, and their brand new album, Wolf-Father, NIDINGR has quickly gained ground in the hierarchy of new Norwegian black metal bands. Wolf-Father is distinctly and proudly Norwegian with its high frequency raging guitars, precise blast beats, and black feel. However, do not mistake NIDINGR for sounding old or derivative as they manage to give a fresh take on the famous Norwegian black metal sound.

Teloch (1349, ORCUSTUS, GORGOROTH) and Blargh (DØDHEIMSGARD) dish out the catchy, and, often, simple riffs that are not too far removed from bands such as 1349, DØDHEIMSGARD, and THORNS. The guitars in particular have a sweet resonance, and the perfect tone that you want for this type of metal. Vocalist Cpt. Estrella Grasa’s shouts and proclamations are reminiscent of Aldrahn (THORNS, ex-DØDHEIMSGARD) in a good way. Drumgod Hellhammer lays down his usual top-notch performance that, at times, seems too easy for him to run through. “Baldrs Draumar” explores a different vibe with its doomy section featuring ULVER’s Garm on vocals.

Wolf-Father is a very consistent in tone, style, and approach. On one hand, this characteristic holds the album back from really breaking out into greatness. On the other hand, being consistently good with no discernable drop off is a compelling reason to listen to it. The next release from NIDINGR should be even better. (Jester Records)